National Encore Entrepreneur Day; Maine plans Wiscasset event

SBA Maine District Office Newsletter, September 24, 2012

SBA, AARP and CEI Team Up to for Wiscasset event on October 2.

Could you be America’s next successful small business owner?

Are you an encore Entrepreneur or would you like to become one? An Encore Entrepreneur is a business owner who is 50+ years of age and the Small Business Administration has teamed up with the Women's Business Center at CEI and AARP to provide a panel of expert/mentors to discuss the following topics relevant to the technology needs of the Encore Entrepreneur.

The role of continuing/adult education

Cyber security - protecting your privacy & your business information

Developing websites for an increasingly mobile market

Using social media (Facebook, LinkedIn) for your business

Please join us at this free event and bring your questions, a friend, and your business cards! Refreshments will be provided. Please pre-register for this event so that we can have an accurate count for space and refreshments.

The seminar will be on October 2, 2012 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at Coastal Enterprises, Inc. at 36 Water Street in Wiscasset.

Need Help with HUBZones? Try the HUBZone Help Line

The SBA HUBZone Office is excited to announce its new Helpline “Office Hours” to help small business concerns find solutions to their HUBZone certification questions. Our Office Hours will allow a discussion and dialog with HUBZone staff about the HUBZone application process and provide advice and guidance on eligibility and continuing eligibility issues.

WHO: Anyone interested in learning more about the purpose and eligibility requirements of the HUBZone program, the initial application, recertification process, and maintaining HUBZone eligibility.

WHAT: An interactive conference call with rotating roster of HUBZone Office staff that will present a topic for discussion and then open the forum up for discussion. The calls will last one hour, and can accommodate up to 120 callers.

Each session will focus on a specific topic that a HUBZone staff member will cover in-depth, with time for questions and responses afterwards. Questions need not be limited to the scheduled topic; however, specific inquiries about an application status should be directed to your assigned analyst or hubzone@sba.gov - if your case has not yet been assigned.

WHY: To provide the public with a regularly scheduled office hours opportunity for general information, and guidance about the HUBZone Program eligibility and continuing eligibility requirements.

Upcoming Training events this week

Selling to the Government, Kennebunk, September 25

Sponsored and presented by the Maine Procurement Technical Assistance Center (Maine PTAC), this seminar will cover what you need to know to sell your products or services to the government. The event will be free to attend and will be held from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm on Tuesday, September 25 at the Biddeford Saco Area Economic Development Corporation, 190 Main Street, Saco. For more information, please call 207-942-6389 or e-mail kpatterson@emdc.org

This innovative workshop is designed for entrepreneurs around the state who are interested in bringing their technologies to market. The workshops are targeted to Maine's more rural areas, and will focus on funding through Maine Technology Institute and the federal SBIR/STTR program, as well as resources available through the University of Maine's Innovation Engineering Program. The event will be free to attend and will be held from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm on Friday, September 28 at the North Dining Hall at the University of Maine Farmington. For more information, please call 207-588-1018 or e-mail ladams@mainetechnology.org